Insulate Spring Garden Beds And Deter Weeds With A Pet Store Staple

There's nothing quite as devastating as going out to your yard after a particularly cold night in spring and seeing all the young perennials and bulbs that are starting to sprout turned to black mush because they've been hit by a late frost. But did you know that a quick trip to your local pet store can actually save you from this disaster? If you head down to the rodent section, you'll find large bags of bedding litter. Commonly, this product is used in the bottom of pet cages as a soft base, but it can also be utilized in your spring garden beds to insulate the soil and deter weeds.

Essentially, it will keep the ground warmer because it acts as a protective mulch, which, as you're probably aware, is a great insulator and really does help to moderate soil temperature. In fact, mulching your yard is one of those essential tips to transition your garden from summer to fall. While you could use leaves or straw to cover your beds, the leaves might be in short supply in early spring, and straw will likely contain grass seeds, which you don't want germinating in your gardens. As an alternative, you could opt for pine needle mulch, as this is one of the best types of mulch to help strawberry plants thrive.

There are two types of bedding litter you should consider for your spring beds. One is made from cedar and the other from pine. These are by-products from the logging industry, so you'll be using a product that might otherwise go to waste. In fact, this may be a much better use for these products, as they're now considered unsafe to use with small animals due to the fumes they give off. In fact, using cedar mulch is one of those simple tricks that help keep snakes out of your garden because this material is toxic to reptiles. Avoid using animal bedding made from paper because there's a possibility these may contain chemicals and bleaches. 

The best way to use these materials is to get a bag or two of each and mix them together. While the cedar bedding will be a little chunkier, the pine one is likely to be fine and dusty, like sawdust. So if you were to just use this sawdust on its own, it might crust over, reducing soil aeration and preventing water penetration.

Once you've mixed together the materials, place a layer over the bed, around 2.5 to 3 inches thick. Apart from providing insulation and preventing weed growth, these products also have additional benefits. They'll break down over time and put nutrients into the soil, which your plants can then use to grow. Plus, they'll help keep moisture in for much longer, so you won't have to worry about overly frequent watering.